“Melissa Long has been an invaluable asset to our show. As our Script Coordinator, she is prompt, thorough, meticulous and thoughtful, anticipating problems and suggesting solutions —often before any issues arise. Melissa came on to the series at the start of production after the room had wrapped, replacing our original Script Coordinator. Yet we hardly felt the transition as Melissa took on the role and was up to speed quickly and gracefully. As we shot our series in Africa, the time zone difference often made script turnarounds critical. Melissa always, always came through and made sure our eleventh-hour script changes were ready on time. Even more impressive is the fact that this is Melissa’s first Script Coordinator position. We’re grateful to have her — she’s a credit to all those who have trained and worked with her.”

“Thank you for spearheading this program. From my POV, it was a HUGE success. Scout [Comm] was a dream. You’d never know they were new. There was no transition, no hand holding, no on the job training. They showed up day one ready for the job. I don’t know what more I could have asked for.”

“Of the many decisions I had to make in staffing my first mini room, going to the WASSTP to find a writers’ assistant was an absolute no-brainer. I reached out to instructors Clay Lapari and Debbie Ezer with a description of the series and our needs, and they immediately got back to me with several candidates whose samples they thought would be a good fit for the tone of the show. In meeting with the various candidates, I loved hearing about the training process and it soon became clear there wasn’t a scenario they’d be faced with that the program hadn’t covered. It left me wondering why the WASSTP hasn’t been around for decades.

I started off my career as a writers’ assistant and I remember being terrified for months. I really had no idea what I was doing, I just typed as fast as I could, in constant fear that I’d mess everything up. It’s a relief to know that our writers’ assistant has a network he can turn to if he has questions I don’t have answers for; that he doesn’t have to fake it like I used to every day. The training Manny received is top notch and from minute one of day one I was confident that he knew exactly what to do to keep us running like a well-oiled machine. The WASSTP is an invaluable resource for both trainees and those staffing rooms, I can’t recommend it more highly. And if I’m lucky enough to run more rooms in the future the WASSTP will always be my first stop. Thank you so much!”

“I couldn’t be happier with the Script Coordinator I was fortunate to find and hire through the Writers Access Program. She came to the party fully trained and ready to jump in right from the start. It’s quite clear to me that the program is incredibly comprehensive, turning out skilled and confident graduates. I’d hire from the program again in a heartbeat.”

“Hiring our Script Coordinator through the WASSTP program has been a fantastic experience. Ida [Yazdi] showed up on day one prepped and ready to go. She was knowledgeable about procedure and open to notes; we were in sync in no time. Most importantly, she has an incredibly positive attitude, which makes every interaction a joy.”

“Ashlea Archer joined A Black Lady Sketch show on short notice. From the first week, it was evident that she had learned the fundamentals of being a Script Coordinator in the WGF program and could apply what she learned to her position confidently. I also loved that she had a real passion for the show and cared about getting the job done right. Always a team player each day during production and a problem solver when it came to script changes. You can exhale if every student comes out of the program as prepared as Ashlea.”

“Gia King (Writers Assistant), who we were lucky to find via the Writer Access Support Staff Training Program (WASSTP), has been a key contributor to our writers’ room. Her training and expertise allows for a seamless creative process and ensures that no good ideas are lost!”

“Lynn [Maleh] was a pro from day one. She came to the job with all the necessary skills to be a great writers’ assistant. She also took the initiative to ask questions and track down answers when there was something she didn’t know. Lynn is an incredibly hard worker, she has an amazing eye for detail, and she got along with everyone across all departments. Any show would be lucky to have her on staff.”